UPSC CDS 1 2026- UPSC has released the official CDS 1 notification 2026 and online form on December 10. UPSC CDS 1 2026 notification pdf contain the exam date, vacancies, eligibility and more details. The last date to submit the CDS 1 2026 application form is December 30, 2025. CDS 1 2026 registration form is released online on UPSC official website- upsconline.nic.in cds. As per CDS eligibility, candidates who have completed the graduation are eligible to apply for CDS 1 exam 2026. CDS Full form is Combined Defence Services Exam (I) Exam.
UPSC CDS 1 2026 will be conducted on April 12, 2026 in pen and paper mode. UPSC conducts the CDS 1 exam to test aspirant’s knowledge of General knowledge, English and Maths. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts CDS 2026 twice a year for admission to the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and Officers’ Training Academy. Read the article to get complete details related to UPSC CDS 1 Exam 2026 in this article.
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UPSC CDS 1 2026 Exam Date
UPSC has released UPSC exam calendar 2026 including the CDS 1 2026 exam date. Refer the below table to know the UPSC CDS 1 exam 2026 date-
UPSC CDS 1 2026 Exam Date
| Events | Important Dates |
| UPSC CDS Notification 2026 Release Date | December 10, 2025 |
| Last Date to fill UPSC CDS 1 2026 Application form | December 30, 2025 |
| CDS I 2026 Admit Card Release Date | March 2026 |
| UPSC Combined Defence Services Exam (I) 2026 | April 12, 2026 |
| Release of Answer Keys | April 2026 |
| CDS 1 2026 Written Result Declaration Date | June 2026 |
| Dates of Personality Test/ SSB Interview | July/ August 2026 |
| UPSC CDS 1 2026 Final Result | October 2026 |
UPSC CDS 1 2026- Vacancies (Tentative)
The total number of CDS 2026 vacancies will be released along with CDS 1 2026 notification. There are a total of 345 vacancies in UPSC CDS 2026 notification.
- Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, 162th (DE) Course commencing in January, 2027- 100 Posts
- Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala—Course commencing in January, 2027 Executive (General Service)- 26 Posts
- Air Force Academy, Hyderabad—(Pre-Flying) Training Course commencing in January, 2027 i.e. No. 221 F(P) Course- 32 Posts
- Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai (Madras), 125th SSC (Men) Course (NT) commencing in April, 2027- 275 Posts
- Officers Training Academy, Chennai—125th SSC Women (Non-Technical) Course commencing in April, 2027- 18 Posts
CDS 1 2026 Eligibility Criteria
To apply for the CDS Exam 2026, candidates must check the eligibility criteria. No ineligible candidate will be allowed to appear in the UPSC CDS 1 2026 exam, Hence, read the conditions carefully prior to apply.
- Only Indian Nationals or candidates having valid proof of Indian nationality are eligible for CDS 1 exam 2026
- Unmarried Male & female whose age is between 20- 24 years.
- Aspirants must hold a graduate degree. Students appearing in the final year are also eligible for CDS 1 exam 2026, provided they produce the documents while appearing in Interview.
UPSC CDS 1 2026 Age Limit
- Indian Military Academy, Dehradun- Candidates born between January 2, 2003 to January 1, 2008.
- Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala- Candidates born between January 2, 2003 to January 1, 2008.
- Air Force Academy, Hyderabad- Candidates born between January 2, 2003 to January 1, 2007.
- Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai (for Men)- Candidates born between January 2, 2002 to January 1, 2008.
- Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai, 25th SSC Women Non-Technical Course- Candidates born between January 2, 2002 to January 1, 2008.
UPSC CDS 1 2026 Application Form
After fulfilling the above mentioned eligibility, candidates should visit the official website of UPSC- upsconline.nic.in cds to fill the UPSC CDS 2026 application form. Candidates will have a duration of 28- 30 days to submit the completely filled application form along with the fee. Besides, applicants should ensure that they furnish only correct and valid information in the CDS 1 2026 application form. The application form of UPSC CDS 1 exam 2026 will be divided in two parts-
- In Part-1, Fill all the required personal details, such as, ‘Name’, ‘DOB’, ‘Father’s name’, ‘Mother’s name’, ‘Address’ and ‘category’.
- In Part-2, Candidates have to pay the requisite amount as examination fee, upload scanned image of photograph and signature alongside select the desired examination centers
CDS 1 Exam 2026- Application Fee
Candidates need to pay a fee of Rs. 200/- by depositing the cash in any SBI branch, or by using the net banking facility of State Bank of India or Visa/Master/Rupay Credit/Debit Card. Female/SC/ST candidates are exempted from UPSC CDS 1 2026 fee payment
UPSC CDS 1 Exam Centre 2026
| Agartala | Ahmedabad | Dispur | Aizawl |
| Allahabad | Bengaluru | Gangtok | Bareilly |
| Bhopal | Hyderabad | Kohima | Patna |
| Chandigarh | Imphal | Kolkata | Port Blair |
| Chennai | Itanagar | Lucknow | Raipur |
| Cuttack | Jaipur | Madurai | Ranchi |
| Dehradun | Jammu | Mumbai | Sambalpur |
| Delhi | Jorhat | Nagpur | Shillong |
| Srinagar | Thiruvananthapuram | Tirupati | Udaipur |
| Dharwad | Kochi | Panaji | Shimla |
| Visakhapatnam |
CDS 1 Exam Pattern 2026
- The mode of exam is offline i.e pen and paper based mode
- The question papers will consist of objective type questions only.
- The medium of the CDS 1 exam 2026 will be bilingually, in Hindi as well as English.
- Also with the CDS 1 2026 exam pattern, all aspirants should be aware of the CDS syllabus 2026.
For Admission to Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy, Air Force Academy-
| Subjects | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| English | 02 hours | 100 Marks |
| General Knowledge | 02 hours | 100 Marks |
| Elementary Mathematics | 02 hours | 100 Marks |
For Admission to Officer’s Training Academy
| Subjects | Duration | Maximum Marks |
| English | 02 hours | 100 Marks |
| General Knowledge | 02 hours | 100 Marks |
UPSC CDS 1 2026 Sample Papers
Candidates should practice the sample papers of CDS 2026 to know the syllabus and exam pattern of CDS 1 exam 2026. Solving the CDS 1 sample papers 2026 is the best CDS preparation tip as well. This will also help aspirants to check their preparation level. Hence, solve as many CDS sample papers you can to be more productive on the exam day.
UPSC CDS 1 Admit Card 2026
Union Public Service Commission will release the admit card of CDS 1 Exam 2026 in the month of March 2026. The commission will upload the admit card of CDS 1 2026 on its official website of the Commission. Applicants should have their registration number & date of birth details to download the admit card. No candidates will be allowed to enter the exam premises without the admit card. Hence, students should download the CDS admit card 2026 and bring the same with valid ID proof while appearing for the exam.
UPSC CDS 1 2026 Answer Key
Some coaching institutes release the CDS 1 2026 answer keys on the exam day. However, the commission will release the official CDS answer keys after a week of exam. Students can calculate their expected scores with the help of answer keys of CDS 2026 before the release of dates.
UPSC CDS 1 Result 2026
The written result of CDS 1 Exam 2026 will be announced in the month of June 2026. However, the final result will be declared in the month of September 2026. The Commission will release the result in a pdf file containing the roll number of the selected candidates. We will also host the result link on this page.
Best Books for CDS 2026 Exam
| Book Name | Link to Purchase |
| Mathematics for CDS Entrance Examination (by R.S Aggarwal) | Purchase Now |
| CDS 12 Years Topic-wise Solved Papers Mathematics, English & General Knowledge (2007-2018) | Purchase Now |
| Pathfinder CDS Examination Conducted by UPSC | Purchase Now |
| High School English Grammar and Composition Book | Purchase Now |
Other Links
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